Hold My Hand
by calma-llama
Summary: After enjoying a night out on the city, Rei and Nagisa are attacked. (Request)


"C'mon Rei, it'll be fine. Really."

_That sentence had become sort of the staple of their relationship. Nagisa had lost count of how many times he had said it through their friendship and then eventually, their first weeks of dating. Whether it was dragging him into something he swore was going to be fun or little arguments caused by complete misunderstandings, but mostly when Rei couldn't quite grasp Nagisa's infinite hunger for excitement._

_He said it months into their relationship when they had gone out for a simple date only for Rei to find out that Nagisa had scheduled them for bungee jumping. Rei was fearful of course, calculating the many ways the experience could go incredibly wrong. The cord could snap and send them plummeting to their death. Or maybe there would be a storm, although it was the middle of the summer, but anything could happen when it came to Nagisa Hazuki._

_He'd said it when Rei was having trouble with his new University classes and that he needed some time, a year into their relationship, to focus and figure things out...Figure himself out, without the blond around. And he'd said it again a week later when Rei showed up at his door, soaked from the rain with apologies and amends falling from his mouth faster than Nagisa could understand them, just before he'd dragged the blue haired man into his apartment and press his lips to his._

_It had become the catchphrase of their relationship. Rei had come to know and trust those words, because often times when Nagisa said that it was going to be okay...He was right._

This...This was not one of those times.

"Nagisa, how can you even say that right now?" Rei demanded his voice wavering and panicked as he held the blond in his lap, his hands moving over Nagisa's body nervously, never staying in one place for too long for fear of hurting him.

_They were supposed to be on a date. Nagisa had taken Rei to the city to show him around his favorite places, pointing out the bakery he'd shop at every once in a while, the places he'd gone with his parents and even the parks he'd visit to clear his head._

"Rei, really, I...I don't feel a thing. W-Wow, that sounded extremely cliché." Nagisa grinned up at his boyfriend. His teeth were red.

_They'd had dinner at a nice restaurant, Nagisa pointing out that his parents would take him there if he had a great score on a test when he was a kid which, in his case, wasn't very often. Rei had smiled at him as he told him to enjoy it because the blond would get to cover every other expense while they were out. It was the easy, playful banter that made both men remember why they loved each other so much._

"That's basically the worst thing you can tell me right now." Rei whimpered, his hands moving instead to Nagisa's face, smoothing back his blond locks as he tried not to look at his once white shirt stained red from the stomach down. Nagisa just laughed, then winced. His bright eyes still had that cheerful glimmer to them as he met Rei's gaze.

"Alright, so maybe it hurts when I laugh."

_They'd finished up and paid and as they walked out of the restaurant, Nagisa had gotten a brilliant idea. There was an ice cream shop, a small establishment, that he and a friend had frequented while he'd been in junior high. Nagisa wanted to take Rei by the place, as he claimed it had the best ice cream he'd ever tasted, hands down and no arguments. And as usual, he wouldn't take no for an answer._

"Then don't laugh." Rei instructed, his eyes looking up to scan the alleyway again, his ears straining for the sounds of sirens or footsteps. Nothing.

"Yeah, the response time here in the city...Nngh, it's not so great." Nagisa groaned as pain rushed through his body, coughing and grimacing at the metallic taste in his mouth. "Man, this is bad. They don't really make it out to be this terrible in the movies, you know?"

"You can't keep talking, Nagisa. It's not...It's not good for you. You need to...Just focus on-" _Focus on not dying._ Rei can't quite bring himself to say it. And Nagisa can't quite bring himself to blame him.

_The ice cream, true to Nagisa's word, was the best Rei ever had. Handmade in the store everyday, offered in so many flavors that Rei hadn't known where to start, but Nagisa walked him through the whole thing, joking and laughing with the store owner as he held his boyfriend's hand, tugging him down the line of selections. They were the only ones in the store, so the owner was kind enough to let them sample each and every one of the flavors._

_It was late then and though Rei was having one of the best nights of his life, he'd heard enough stories and watched the news enough to know that the city was dangerous at night. Nagisa tried to calm him, assuring him that there was no need for concern, but Rei insisted that they head back to the train. Whatever else Nagisa had planned for them could wait for tomorrow._

"I'm trying Rei, I just..."

"Nagisa? Nagisa, _no_, keep your eyes open!" Rei shook Nagisa gently and the blond slowly opened his eyes, giving his boyfriend a small nod.

"Oh, right, sleeping is bad. I just feel really tired, y'know?" Nagisa's words were starting to slur together. Rei gritted his teeth. Still no sirens.

_Nagisa knew a shortcut back to the station. He warned Rei that it was through a pretty shady part of town and offered to pay for a cab, but both of them decided it wasn't worth it. The station was only a few blocks away and while the shortcut wasn't exactly well lit, it wasn't though some alleyways and abandoned car lots, so Rei couldn't really complain._

_The guy came out of nowhere. He had a gun and waved it around like he didn't care one bit about either of their lives. To be fair, that was probably true since he looked wired on cocaine or maybe heroin, too out of it to keep from glancing over his shoulder every few seconds. Neither of them wanted trouble._

"Nagisa, c'mon, say something." Rei snapped back to reality as he felt Nagisa's body become still in his lap. The blond man gave him a hazy look and smiled again. He attempted to speak, but only gurgled in response. Rei felt his blood freeze in his veins.

The expression Nagisa gave him was concerned but not panicked. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Something." He finally managed, giving him one of those infuriatingly endearing smirks. He voice sounded so weak...So small.

_The guy was looking over his shoulder again when Nagisa and Rei pulled out their wallets and phones. He glanced back long enough to snatch their wallets, then turned again, his whole body constantly shaking like he was trying to decide whether to stay or flee at any given moment._

_Nagisa dropped his phone as he passed it over. He bent to retrieve it and belatedly, the addict in front of them jumped, whirled around and screeched. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, blondie? You got a fuckin' knife hidden down there or something?!"_

_Nagisa quickly straightened up, mouth already open and ready to explain that he was just trying to pick up his phone. The gun went off and Nagisa hit the ground. The guy was gone before Rei had time to react. He didn't even take their wallets._

Nagisa had started trembling a few minutes ago, his teeth chattering together as a pool of red slowly spread around him.

Rei had given up on any sense of decency at this point. His arms cradled Nagisa and he constantly pushed back the blond's hair, murmuring to him in a desperate attempt to keep him awake and talking. He could hear sirens in the distance, too far off to make him even the slightlest bit more relieved.

"It's going to be okay, Nagisa. Everything will be fine...You're gonna be fine." Rei whispered, taking Nagisa's hand into his. The blond's eyes fluttered open for just a moment. He shook his head and gave him a little upward twitch of him lips.

"That's my line."

He gave his hand a weak squeeze.

Maybe that's why it wasn't.


End file.
